Have read, and am desperately trying to understand. It is difficult to fully understand a belief that differs fom the one that I have. It constantly tries to conflict. I know that this is the work of my sinfull nature. So I beg that you bear with me in my ignorance.
Feel free to start a thread w/ questions. Or you can send me a personal message w/ a question.
Maybe as a introductory, this might help you put some of our references in context.
My brother is in law enforcement. He always talks about how different people will always see the same event differently with different things more prominently. So it is with the difference in how Catholics and non-Catholics see the Life of Christ.
While most of us see Christ’s life with three principle components (Passion, Death & Resurrection; public ministry, and birth), we have different perspectives.
- Passion, Death & Resurrection: Catholics see the entire period in one integrated whole beginning with the institution of the Priesthood and Mass, Passion & Death as atonement for our sins, descent into the Dead to free those souls, and Resurrection to show power over death. Non-Catholics generally see greater significance in a particular component. Some focus on the Resurrection, others on the Passion and Death, and few on the events in the upper Supper Room except as part of His teaching ministry.
- Birth: This doesn’t make #2 on most non-Catholics list but is a very close second for Catholics. Books have been written on this but I’ll try to give a short explanation. The reality that God chose to assume our nature says alot about humanity. That it is a good nature and not a corrupt nature for nothing of God can be corrupt. That our bodies are not just useful vessels but sacred in and of themselves. And that the combination of fully man and fully God is eternal.
Most importantly, when Christ says “He” is with us until the end of the time in Mathew at His Assumption, it is not just His spirit but His entire nature (Body, Soul & Divinity). This in turn affects how we see Christ in the Eucharist, Church, Priests/Bishops/Pope and in the faithful. And it impacted why we will have religious convents like Mother Theresa’s to just solely tend to the physical needs of the people. They are like the Holy Women who cared for Christ’s body when He came down from the cross. In effect, this is caring for the poor is a great form of worship of Jesus and we believe that worship is a greater call than evangelization or at least a prerequisite.
Because many (not all) of our non-Catholic breathren don’t put this emphasis on the Incarnation, they are willing to accept Jesus is here spiritually or that missionary work is most focused on evangelization with physical care a lesser component. I don’t say that to be critical as Catholics too have such missionary work. And I don’t mean to say that you don’t have reverence for the Incarnation. Its just that we hold it in a extremely high regard and nearly as significant as what occurred during Easter.
- Teaching Ministry: For most non-Catholic Christians, this would be #2 on the list. And don’t get me wrong. We value this greatly. We just see it more as a prerequisite for us to understand and implement what He did at the end (establish the Mass and Priesthood) and His Passion, Death & Resurrection.
- This doesn’t even get into the difference of how we see the Holy Spirit’s activities, most signficantly the establishment of the Church at Pentecost.
If you read what we say thru this prism, I think it will help.
Fellow Catholics, do you have something to add or do you have disagreement. I don’t profess to be infallible or to speak for you or the Church. This is just my perspective and understanding.
